Man charged in South End killing pleads not guilty

John Nickerson

Published 10:30 pm, Friday, June 13, 2014

Andre Quinn Russell, 20, of 83 Ludlow St.,is arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Friday June 13, 2014 charged with the Thursday night murder of William "Buttons" James. Russell is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.
Photo: Dru Nadler

Andre Quinn Russell, 20, of 83 Ludlow St.,is arraigned at the...

Andre Quinn Russell, 20, of 83 Ludlow St.,is arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Friday June 13, 2014 charged with the Thursday night murder of William "Buttons" James. Russell is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.
Photo: Dru Nadler

Andre Quinn Russell, 20, of 83 Ludlow St.,is arraigned at the...

Andre Quinn Russell, 20, of 83 Ludlow St.,is arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Friday June 13, 2014 charged with the Thursday night murder of William "Buttons" James. Russell is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.
Photo: Dru Nadler

Bujdud did not argue to reduce Russell's $1 million bond on the murder charge and White scheduled him to return to court on June 20.

Russell, an upholstery cleaner who is just over six feet tall and weighs 190 pounds, remained silent during the arraignment, leaving the talking to Bujdud.

Right after the hearing, Bujdud spent a few minutes with Russell's parents. He said that the parents are having a tough time dealing with the arrest of their youngest child. Russell himself has a child, a one-month-old girl.

"This is difficult for the entire family," Bujdud said.

Bujdud said he has read the sealed police arrest affidavit detailing the state's case, but declined on the record to comment on how strong it is or the specifics.

Police investigated the case for nearly a week since James, 46, was shot in the back of the head at close range at the busy South End intersection of Pacific Street and Woodland Avenue around 8:30 p.m. June 5. Police said they found enough witnesses who identified Russell as the killer and other evidence to obtain the judge's signature on an arrest warrant. Police estimate there were at least 50 people in the immediate area, some playing cards and others rolling dice on the street, when the shooting took place.

On Thursday, police kept tabs on Russell, a convicted felon with a serious gun charge already on his record, and soon after the judge signed the warrant, Russell was seen walking near his Ludlow Street home -- a short distance from the scene -- and was taken into custody without incident.

Capt. Richard Conklin said the motive for the shooting could have been Russell did not like the fact James sold drugs to a drive-up customer on the corner. Police have also heard that James owed Russell as much as $500.

Police said Russell was a suspect in James' murder early on. On Friday afternoon at about 4 p.m., about officers in about 6 cruisers pulled over his 1998 Buick LeSabre at Pacific and Woodland Place and interviewed his girlfriend. On Saturday, believing he was in the Bridgeport area, Bridgeport advised its officers to be on the lookout for Russell, describing his car and saying he was wanted for questioning in the killing.

In May 2012, Russell was convicted of carrying a pistol without a permit, after firing several shots at a group of people outside a cluster of homes on Henry Street. At the time of the incident, witnesses told police they saw Russell, then 18, fire a revolver at least five times at the people. Two of the bullets struck a house and came within 10 feet of two children, 2 and 4 years old. Russell told police in 2012 that he had fired the handgun to protect himself, after having a problem with a group of men the night before.

Originally charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor, three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon, illegal discharge of a firearm and illegally carrying a pistol without a permit in 2012, Russell was only convicted for carrying the pistol; in July 2012, he was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended after 18 months. Court documents show his sentence also included three years of probation.

On July 18, 2013, Russell was released on probation.

Without then having enough evidence to arrest him in connection with James' murder, police charged Russell on Tuesday with violating probation based on evidence he had used drugs and for not attending court-ordered treatment programs.

He immediately posted $25,000 bond and was released.

Conklin said that police obtained a video recording of the murder from a surveillance camera in the area. A man fitting Russell's description is seen running down Ludlow Street right after the murder.